The Rainbow (2019) User Reviews

Good But Should Have Been Better

[nebk · 7/10 · 7 March 2020]

The Rainbow is a documentary about the famous Rainbow Bar & Grill which has been part meeting spot, part church, and part home away from home for many rock stars for nearly 5 decades. For a restaurant it has achieved world wide fame amongst rock lovers who dreamed about going there and mingling with and maybe meeting famous rockers like Ozzy in the 80s, Guns N' Roses in the late 80s and early 90s, Lemmy Until his passing in 2015 and many many more. Just imagine going there in the 70s and seeing people like John Lennon, Alice Cooper, Keith Moon, Ringo Star, The Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin.

As a family business The Rainbow has been run by three generations of the Maglieri Family and there are some touching stories about Mario Maglieri taking on a father figure for some of the rock stars and caring for them when they were unknowns or when all the debauchery got too much for them. And this is the same man who ended up kicking out a belligerent Charles Manson out of one of his clubs when he wouldn't leave. Or listening to his grandson who is now running the business and has been involved in the music scene since he could walk and who experienced the rise of grunge and new rock bands in the early 2000s.

Unfortunately the movie is just over an hour long and it reminds me of a vh1 behind the music episode rather than a feature length indepth documentary about what is considered a holy site for rock n rollers. For a place steeped in 50 years of rock history and atmosphere there should have been more material available in the documentary and more people interviewed. As it is, it deserves a 6.5-7 but it could have been so much more.

"Listen kid, once upon a time there was a special place, it was called The Rainbow." - Gene Simmons of Kiss

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 21 November 2019]

I just watched this documentary twice in a row and have to admit to being just a little confused until I did a further internet search. The title is "The Rainbow", but the first half if not more of the film is about the formation and history of the Whisky a Go-Go nightclub in Los Angeles, located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard, or as the locals would have it, the Sunset Strip. Opening on January 16th, 1964, it became the premier location for all manner of celebrities to hang out back in the day, with virtually every name band performing there at one time or another. Quoting Gene Simmons of the band Kiss - "When you first start out, and before you figure out your game, the Whisky's the place to do it."

At the outset however, the owner wasn't much of a businessman, so he called in a friend named Mario Maglieri to run things who cleaned house with the staff and put in people he could trust. In on-screen interviews Maglieri comes across as a gruff, insensitive, but colorful character who brought up his son in the business, and with the passage of time, his grandson as well. In 1972, Maglieri opened The Rainbow Room at 9015 Sunset Boulevard, however as the narrative progresses, it's never made clear that both establishments operated independently. It's almost as if the Whisky became The Rainbow over a period of time. That's because both operations resembled each other so much and both became meccas for rock stars to be seen at. It's quite appropriate to say that both locations were where rock groups came to see other rock groups perform.

Some of the personalities interviewed for this rock-doc include Gene Simmons, Ozzy Osborne, Mickey Dolenz, Slash of Guns N' Roses, Lita Ford, and all three generations of the Maglieri Family. Lemmy Kilmister of the heavy metal band Motorhead also offers his comments, and was such a mainstay at The Rainbow that he was honored with his own statue at the club following his death in 2015. They all speak of reverence for The Rainbow and the Maglieri's, especially founder Mario, who would often feed down-and-out starving musicians who were just starting out and could barely afford a place to stay.

The documentary offers a treasure trove of trivia for music fans. For example, it's mentioned that The Doors were hired for fifty dollars a week before they broke out with 'Light My Fire', and opened for Johnny Rivers! Chicago performed there as the house band when they were still known as the Chicago Transit Authority (the name of their first album), their first gig opening for The Velvet Underground. Mickey Dolenz, who to me seemed like an unlikely member, described his association with a very limited club organized by himself, Alice Cooper and Keith Moon of The Who, calling themselves the Hollywood Vampires. That vaunted circle included Harry Nilsson, John Lennon and Ringo Starr. Their 'meeting room' was on the top floor above The Rainbow and except for their guests, no one else was admitted.

Both The Whisky and The Rainbow are still going concerns, though as the documentary mentions, their heyday is long past, even if they still offer a venue for up and coming bands in LA. Third generation Mikael Maglieri has proven himself a capable businessman and booker of talent, with the aim of bringing The Rainbow back to it's former glory. Music fans will find a lot to savor with this picture, even if no actual music is heard and no bands are shown performing except in a limited collage of stills. It capably explains in it's limited format the transition of the American music scene from the rock n' roll era of the Sixties and Seventies through the hair and heavy metal presence of the Eighties and the Grunge era of the Nineties. Die hard music fans shouldn't miss this, and if you read this first, might not be as confused as I was upon first viewing.

Excellent!! Real stories by the real people who were there

[colonel-13070 · 10/10 · 13 April 2020]

Real stories by the real people who were thereVery well done, real stories by the real people who were there. Great historical documentation of so many bands I grew up with. The history of the era, and how these great bands got their start. You could argue that the documentary is too short, only because it was so good it could've gone on for another hour or two. The backstory of all of these types of places and the bands that went through are fascinating musical history.

Highly Enjoyable

[koinonia_92-1 · 9/10 · 9 March 2020]

A well made documentary film that brings to life The Rainbow that hard rock and metal fans hear so much about. The development of The Rainbow's history as a family-owned business, legendary venue, and home to rock luminaries of multiple decades makes this film a "must see" for fans and the curious alike.

Fun

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 1 June 2020]

Zak Knutson also made Milius, a doc about the famous director. In this film, he chronicles the Rainbow, a Sunset Strip club that has been the epicenter of rock and roll for decades. It's where the Hollywood Vampires met, where Lemmy played his One Touch machine every night and where so many bands held court.

The main reason to watch this film is to see so many stars remember the past of the magical Rainbow, including Mickey Dolenz, Lita Ford, Ron Jeremy, Ozzy Osbourne, Slash, Gene Simmons and Matt Sorum.

It was always my dream to get to the Rainbow. I stood outside it once, but it was too intimidating for me. This movie is the chance I was waiting for to see what it was like.